Facebook Reaches Out to the Unborn

Social networks are always looking for new users, but Facebook has taken gaining the attention of the social media population to a whole new level. Parents who currently have Facebook accounts can now enter the due date and name of unborn children. That’s right, unborn children can now be added to Facebook pages. Seemingly, this is an attempt to keep Facebook users happy.

Not surprisingly, Facebook quietly made the unborn child addition an option a few months ago. There’s no doubt that parents will delight in this new feature, but many friends and family members may stare at the due date of an unborn child with large rolling eyes. Facebook claims that the network is always testing new features, but this one just takes the cake.

Why Adding an Unborn Child is a Bad Idea

A lot can happen during any given pregnancy. Children can be born sick, with deformities, and sometimes stillborn. During those long nine months, mothers can also become sick. In short, pregnancies don’t always go as planned, and explaining to your Facebook community what happened in the instance that something happens will bring embarrassment and awkwardness.

Of course, some pregnancies go off without a hitch – in fact, most do. But, those pregnancies that do not happen as planned will now be the business of everyone who’s part of your Facebook account should you choose to use this new feature. Then again, expectant parents aren’t usually shy about posting information about pregnancies on Facebook – some parents even go so far as to update their Facebook communities during delivery.

Should You Use This New Feature?

So, what if you have a bun in the oven? Should you head to your Facebook account, enter the necessary information, and wait for the “congratulations” to pile up? That depends on how confident you are in your pregnancy. It also depends on how close you are to your Facebook group.

If you only have those who are nearest and dearest to you as part of your Facebook community, it might not be such a big deal to add an unborn child to your family list. But, I caution against doing this for the reasons listed above. There are few things more intimate than the conception of a child, and sometimes these intimate details are best left for you and your partner alone. You can, after all, post as many newborn pictures as you like once your child has made its way into the world.

How to Access the Feature

If you want to throw caution to the wind, you can access this new feature simply through your Facebook settings. Head to the “Friends and Family” section of your Facebook page, and select the “Expected: Child” feature. From there, you can enter the due date, your baby’s name (if you’ve picked one out yet – perhaps you can create a poll to help you choose a name?), and you’ll be ready to go. As soon as you click “update,” everyone who follows you on Facebook will see that you are expecting.